Kochi: The annual State conference of the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association began here with a note on the need for decentralisation of health care facilities in the public sector.

B. Ikbal, former Vice-Chancelor of Kerala University, presented the subject Decentralisation of Healthcare Centre and Modernisation of Healthcare facilities, at the seminar organised by the association. He said the onus is on the medical officers to come up with a study on the last 15 years of the healthcare system followed under the three-tier panchayat system. A report on the same should be presented by the association before the State goes in for local body elections, he said.

Dominic Presentation, MLA, inaugurated the three-day meeting at the Town Hall. Junaid Rehman, president of the association, presided. Manoj Narayanan and Sunny P. Orathel, both former presidents of the association, presented a viewpoint of the medical officers about the healthcare delivery system.

The State committee meeting will be held on Saturday. The conference will conclude on Sunday.